P2
Now you have studied scripts it is now time to start looking at storytelling and narrative structures, as this will be essential in understanding how to create ideas for your own script.
Students should be using time to watch Horror films at home. Horror films and horror openings can also be analysed in class - using this document for openings and this document for entire films students should analyse horror films and intros, with students focusing on what iconography and semiotics are giving the audience the idea that they are watching a horror.
Students should also look at Horror tropes and cliches and see if they can spot any in the openings or entire films also try and identify the sub-genre of horror (this diagram goes into finer detail). A home screening of The Cabin in the Woods would be beneficial to students who are struggling with how filmmakers manipulate the audience by following tropes of the genre. Students can view and discuss this prezi if they want to understand the term 'genre' more.
Horror Openings
It Follows
Nightmare on Elm Street
Halloween
The Conjuring
Students should explore different narrative structures (this video can be useful for home viewing Three Act Structure) - this can be done creating a simple idea for a horror film (friends go to a cabin in the woods, a murderer has escaped a mental asylum, a mad scientist has created a new disease) or using a pre-existing film and applying it to the following theories one after another:
Beginning, middle and end - Template
Syd Field Structure - Template
Tzvetan Todorov Structure - Template
Joseph Campbell - Guide
Dan Harmon - Template
BRIEF
Netflix has commissioned you to write the script for a new horror film. As you are a relatively young and new writer, they are only asking for the first 5-10 pages of your script. You need to grab their attention and create something unique and interesting opening sequence, whilst staying in the boundaries of the genre. This should establish the tone, characters and elude to the narrative of your script. Your script should be adventurous and ambitious - let your imagination free!
Netflix has asked that there are no college locations used, as their algorithms show that this can make a show perform poorly. Netflix has also stated that the first 10 minutes is the most important time for retention, so horror tropes and elements must be used in the first 10 minutes.
P2
Before you start writing your script you need to first generate ideas. students should create an idea for an entire story, then they will write the opening to that story. This will require you to create 3 original ideas and pick a final idea. You need to create 3 different moodboards, exploring the different sub-genres or types of genres you want to write about, 3 ideas sheets, a logline and a narrative structure for your chosen idea. To understand what a logline is and how to write one, watch this video.
Checklist for your blog:
- 3x idea sheet
- 1 x logline for chosen idea
- 1x narrative structure of chosen idea
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P2 - Learners generate a range of ideas for the scripted element of a media product, in response to a client brief